


The Miraculous Viperion

by Snugglebuttkitten



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Kwamis, F/M, Gen, Spiderman 2002 Adaptation, Spiderman AU, lukanette endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:47:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29794899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: When Luka Couffaine is bit by a genetically altered spider-snake THING, he suddenly wakes up with some surprising changes. Perfect vision, newfound speed, strength, and agility, the ability to shoot webs from his wrist and create a venom that temporarily paralyzes his opponents. Oh, and fangs. Those... those are definitely a thing.Luka has never bought into the whole superhero thing, but you know what they say. With great power comes great responsibility, and when a Supervillain begins terrorizing the city he calls home, it's time for him to step up to the plate.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix Graham de Vanily
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	The Miraculous Viperion

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be for the LBSC Sprint Challenge Due on March 3rd but it was too good of an AU to try and limit myself to 3 fifteen minute sprints and so, I decided to go all out and write a full story. I am very excited for this, ngl

_ Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale, if somebody told you I was just your average, ordinary guy not a care in the world, somebody lied. But let me assure you. This, like any other story worth telling, is all about a girl. THE girl. The girl next door. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The woman I’ve loved since before I even liked girls.  _

“Hey! Hey, stop the bus,” Luka Couffaine wheezed as he slapped his hand against the side of the giant yellow school bus, legs pumping and guitar case slapping against his back as he struggled to keep up. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an unusual occurrence for him. He’d swear on his guitar that the bus driver, much like the rest of his classmates, loved to see him struggle. But that was neither here nor there. He  _ couldn’t _ be late today! Not when they were supposed to visit Paris University’s Department of Science today. He had been looking forward to this trip since he was a Freshman. It was a trip only Seniors got to take, and considering her had hopes of attending Paris University next year as a Science Major, it was a great opportunity. But that would hardly help if he  _ didn’t get on this bus immediately _ . As if cued by his thoughts, the bus suddenly came to a screeching halt and if Luka had been a foot or so to the left, he probably would have broken his glasses, and his nose, by running into the back of the atrociously colored vehicle. As it were, his shoulder glanced painfully off the edge and he winced as he staggered to the front of the bus and clambered up the steps, gasping his appreciation between labored breaths. Against all odds, he had somehow made it on board and now was faced with the arduous task of finding a seat. 

Two dozen sets of eyes glared back at him as he searched vainly for an empty seat, the hostility in the air palpable. There was no love lost between him and his classmates. Nevermind the fact that most of them had been going to school with him since  _ Maternelle Petite _ . To them, he was just the nerdy science geek who occasionally took halfway decent pictures for the school newspaper and always carried a guitar around even though most of them hadn’t heard him play since they laughed him off the stage when he was six and in  _ Cours Préparatoire _ . Making his way gingerly down the aisle, his eyes inadvertently found the girl of his dreams. He wished it were him sitting next to her; him with his arm slung over his shoulders. Instead it was Felix Graham de Vanilly, the biggest tool in school. Felix wasn’t the biggest guy around, probably a few inches shorter than Luka. But were Luka was kind of scrawny, Felix was muscular from years of playing sports. He was hands down the most popular guy in school and unfortunately, he and Marinette had been going steady for the last two years now. He wasn’t sure what she saw in the jerk. Felix was an asshole. He was rude, aggressive, controlling, and a bully and yet Marinette stayed with him. It always infuriated him, seeing them together but he couldn’t exactly do anything about it.

Marinette had been his neighbor since he was six. He isn’t sure what happened to her birth family but, like him, she doesn’t live with them. Unlike him, she lives with a foster family. He is lucky enough to live with his Aunt Penny and Uncle Jagged, along with his sister, Juleka. Marinette’s foster family leaves much to be desired and he can often hear them screaming at each other or Marinette until she eventually storms off in a rush. He often finds himself wishing he were brave enough to ask if she is okay, or offer to play one of the millions of songs he has written for her. But he’s a coward and has barely said three words to her in all the time they’ve lived next door to one another. He can’t help it. Marinette is the most gorgeous girl he’s ever seen. Midnight black hair, big blue eyes, creamy skin, rosy cheeks, freckles and dimples. She is also one of the kindest people he’s ever met. And she’s so passionate about everything she does. He can only hope to one day capture her attention.

Her eyes flick up then, meeting his for the briefest second as a small smile curves her lips. Before he can smile back, something catches on his ankle and Luka crashes unceremoniously to the ground, earning a scattering of laughter from the watching students. From just beyond Marinette, who has now dropped her gaze back to her lap, Felix smirks at him and his arm tightens possessively around the girl beside him. The message is clear and Luka forces his gaze away from the pair as he picks himself back up and scurries to the last open seat at the back of the bus.

  
  


“Lycee Voltaire Seniors. No wandering. Proceed direct-” Monsieur Pedro, their Advanced Science Teacher, is a tall slim man with deeply tanned skin and dark brown hair cropped short. Luka likes him a lot. He has a very no-nonsense approach and on top of that is brilliant when it comes to the Sciences. Most of the students swear he has a sixth sense when it comes to student shenanigans. Especially at times like these, when without looking he catches a paper football midair that some student had flicked towards the back of his head. “Knock it off,” he gives the students behind him a stern look, cowing any further attempts at disrupting his lecture before he continues. 

“Remember, it is a privilege to be here. We are guests of Paris University’s Science Department, so behave accordingly. Let’s not have a repeat of our trip to the planetarium,” that warrants a harsh glare towards where Felix and his best friend, Theo Barbot, are goofing off and pushing each other around. They barely pay him mind and Luka rolls his eyes and adjusts the camera hanging around his neck. “Come on, people, let’s stay together. Proceed up the steps and into the building.”

  
  


“Bernard, can we drive around the corner, please?” Adrien Agreste asked, sinking lower into the supple leather seats as he glanced out towards the University and his classmates who are visible on the front steps. His father looks up from the tablet in his arms, a stern frown on his face as he takes in his son’s slouched position.

“Why would we drive around the corner, Adrien? The entrance is right there,” the older man pointed out, nodding toward the building as if to emphasize that point. If anything, that only made the blond boy sink lower in his seat.

“Father, these are public school kids. I can’t show up to a field trip in the Rolls. They’ll think I’m some pretentious snob,” he tried not to let the whine into his voice. His father hated whining. But there must have been a slight whine to his tone because Gabriel’s lips tightened and his pale blue eyes narrowed to slits.

“What, you want me to trade in my car for a Jetta, just because you got yourself kicked out of every private school I sent you too?” He asked, not exactly unkindly but definitely with an edge to his tone that hadn’t been there before. Adrien really hated when he brought up that argument, especially since he had never wanted to go to those stupid private schools anyway. He didn’t fit in with the pretentious, snobby crowd that seemed to attend those schools, now was he a genius the way his father wanted him to be. He hadn’t fit in there, as much as his dad would have liked for him to.

“That wasn’t for me,” he mumbled, dropping his emerald gaze to his hands as he picked nervously at a stray string that was sticking out from the hem of his mostly black tee-shirt.

“Of course it was for you. Adrien, don’t ever be ashamed of who you are,” his father said, laying a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. The gesture was probably meant to be comforting but it only made Adrien feel claustrophobic and oppressed. 

“I’m not ashamed of who I am. It’s just…” He hesitated.

“Just what, Adrien?”

“Just forget it,” Adrien shook his head dejectedly. His father didn’t get it, and he probably never would. Uttering something that sounded like a goodbye, the young man slid out of the car and shut the door behind him, mentally shaking himself and the stress of dealing with his dad off. He almost wished to go back to his days in  _ collège _ , when his father had been so busy developing his new project that he had foisted most of his parental duties off on his assistant, Nathalie Sancouer. Often it was still Nathalie who dealt with Adrien and his schedule, but lately he had found his father trying to be a more proactive member in his life. It was appreciated, but at the same time it made Adrien feel like he had to be perfect all the time and ended up being more of a hassle than anything else.

“Luke!” Spotting his best friend’s familiar mop of teal tipped black hair, Adrien lifted a hand in greeting and jogged to catch up with him. Luka Couffaine was the one and only good thing about attending Lycee Voltaire. The school itself was subpar compared to some of his other schools, the students often downright vicious to outsiders and even their own. Luka was a prime example of this, an outcast among students he had been attending school with for years. He was a few months older than Adrien, tall and kind of scrawny. His hair was a touch longer that was common for most men, the teal tips reaching down to his chin in some places. He turned at Adrien’s call, an easy grin alighting on his face and lifted his own hand in greeting as he stopped to wait for him.

“Hey, Adrien,” he greeted.

“Hey, man.” Adrien tried to sound more cheerful than he felt but judging by the concerned look shot his way, he could tell he had fallen flat.

“You okay?”

Before he could confirm or deny that he was indeed okay, his father’s voice had him stopping in his tracks, head lower and shoulders hiking up until they hovered closer to his ears than the base of his neck. He would have ignored him if he could have, but Luka was already turning and so with a sigh, Adrien forced his feet to do the same.

“Adrien. Won’t you be needing this?” His father reached them and held out his messenger bag and the blond automatically reached for it. He did need that, unfortunately. Why had he left it in the car!? Now he had to introduce his father and Luka, something he had been avoiding doing. But his father was looking at him, waiting expectantly instead of bidding him a good day and leaving like he would have hoped and so Adrien reluctantly bit the bullet and gestured toward his best friend.

“Uhm, Luka, may I introduce my father, Gabriel Agreste?” He said mutedly, gesturing vaguely towards the older man before them.

“Luka. I’ve heard so much about you,” Gabriel greeted, reaching out to clasp the other boy’s hand in his own.

“It’s a great honor, sir.”

“Adrien tells me you’re quite the science whiz. You know, I’m something of a scientist myself,” Gabriel said with a faint smile. It took everything in his son not to groan out loud, his green gaze flicking towards the rapidly disappearing crowd of their classmates. Even being surrounded by them would be better than having to sit through listening to his best friend and dad talk shop.

“I’ve read all of your research on Nanotechnology. It’s really brilliant,” Luka confirmed.

“And you understood it?” Adrien’s pretty sure he’s never heard his father sound so impressed.

“Yes, sir. I wrote a paper on it.”

“Impressive! Your parents must be very proud.”

“My sister and I live with our aunt and uncle. They are proud.” Luka confirmed. Before Gabriel had a chance to dive deeper into their nerd talk, Adrien was saved by their teacher reappearing at the top of the steps and calling for them to rejoin the class so they could start the tour. Adrien could have wept with relief.

“Nice to meet you,” Luka said, hitching his ever present guitar case higher up his back before turning toward the building.

“You as well, young man,” Gabriel agreed with another one of his rare smiles. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as they finally started mounting the steps, putting his father behind them. Halfway up, Luka flashed him a teasing grin that did wonders for helping the younger man relax a bit. Luka had that effect on people. The ability to put those around him at ease.

“He doesn’t seem so bad,” he joked, nudging the smaller boy playfully with his shoulder. Laughing, Adrien shoulder bumped him back.

“Yeah, not if you’re a genius. I think he wants to adopt you,” he joked, earning a light shove and laugh from Luka before they jogged the rest of the way to the building and fell in at the back of their class.

  
  
  


“There are over 45,00 known species of spiders in the world, and 3000 known species of snakes. Quite the difference. Spiders are in the order Araneae, which is divided-”

“Wow, this is amazing,” Luka breathed, keeping his voice low so as not to alert M. Pedro. “This is the most advanced electron microscope on the eastern seaboard. It’s unreal,” he continued to whisper enthusiastically. Unaware of Adrien rolling his eyes beside him.

“Wow,” the blond uttered, decidedly unenthusiastically as he allowed his gaze to drift away from the giant microscope and settle on the back of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. There it lingered, drifting over her from head to toe as a faint, appreciative smile curved his lips. She was beautiful. Pity her taste was so poor that she had to go for his moron of a cousin.

“Arachnads from all three groups possess varying strengths which help them in their constant search for food,” the guide droned on at the front of their group, coming to a halt before a container containing a number of spiders. “For example, the Delena Spider, family Sparassidae, has the ability to jump to catch its food.” Luka lifted his camera to snap a photo but was immediately bumped from behind by Felix, who snickered before justling off with Theo at his side. Scowling after them, Luka quickly snapped the picture before hurrying to catch up with the class as the guide continued.

“Next we have the Net Web Spider, family Filistatidae, genus Kukulcania. It spins an intricate funnel shaped web whose strands have a tensile strength proportionately equal to the type of high tension wire used in bridge building,” the guide explained. Again Luka tried to snap a picture of the spider but once more was jostled the moment he tried to take it. Heaving a sigh, he was about to try again when Adrien spoke up beside him, a heavy scowl on his usually relaxed face.

“Leave him alone.”

“Or what?” Theo scoffed, tossing his dark brown hair out of his eyes and arching a brow as he looked down at the shorter teen. Theo was of Italian descent, with richly tanned skin and dark brown hair he usually kept slicked back into a man bun. He was about two years older than the rest of them, having been held back a couple of grades and was mean to the bone. He was also a bit of a perv and often hit on Marinette whenever Felix wasn’t around to watch. That was one of the many reasons Luka did not like him.

“Or his father will fire your father,” Felix suddenly leaned in from the other side, a sneer on his face. Despite only being cousins, Adrien and Felix looked remarkably alike. Felix was taller and more muscular, but they shared the same skin tone, the same perfectly coiffed blonde hair, and the same emerald green eyes. But where Adrien’s eyes were kind, Felix’s were cold and calculating. Gripping Adrien’s shoulder, Felix leaned even closer with an almost feral look on his face, just daring Adrien to fight back. “What’s daddy gonna do? Sue me?”

“What is going on?” Before Adrien could respond, Monsieur Pedro appeared, pulling Felix off the smaller blond and glaring between the four young men “The next person who speaks will fail this course. I kid you not. Let’s go.” 

“This grass spider hunts using a sense of reflexes with nerve conduction velocity so fast, that some researchers believe it borders on precognition… an early awareness of danger. A spider sense, if you will.”

“Those guys are jerks,” Luka muttered, catching up to Adrien. He kept his voice low, their teacher’s warning still fresh in his mind.

“Hey, look at that spider,” Adrien grinned as he approached one of the enclosures and gestured to a large brown spider with long legs. A Brown Recluse, if Luka recalled correctly, though he could have been wrong. While genetics were an interest of his, arachnids were not. He had always found the tiny creatures to be rather creepy, to be completely honest.

“Some spiders change colors to blend into their environment,” he whispered, a small smile curving his lips. Adrien was even less a fan of spiders than he was and he delighted in the shudder that ran up his friend’s spine as he shot him a reproachful look. “It’s a defense mechanism.”

“Luka, what makes you think I would want to know that?” Adrien asked with a grimace and a roll of his eyes.

“Who wouldn’t? Luka laughed as he hurried to catch up with his friend.

“This Spider Sense is very similar in the way that snakes can feel vibrations in the air, water, or ground around them that can tell them when danger is approaching, or where their prey is located.” The guide continued as they approached another case full of spiders.

“You gonna go talk to her now?” Adrien nodded towards where Marinette stood slightly off from the crowd of other students, for once without Felix hovering over her shoulder like a dog protecting a bone.

“No, come on,” Luka chuckled awkwardly, shooting a glance toward Marinette before quickly looking away lest she caught him staring. “You go talk to her.”

“All right,” Adrien shrugged and left Luka standing there as he approached Marinette.

  
  


“Disgusting,” Marinette wrinkled her nose and grinned as she inspected the various spider species, oddly fascinated by the subject. She didn’t notice anyone approaching until a voice spoke at her right shoulder, drawing her eyes towards her boyfriend’s cousin, Adrien.

“Yeah, hateful little things,” he whispered conspiratorially.

“I love them,” she admitted, glancing at him with a grin before turning back to the case.

“Yeah, me too,” Adrien agreed. Marinette glanced at him, amused by the obvious lie and arched a brow. “You know, spiders can change color to blend into their environment,” he added quickly. Neither noticed Luka's approach or the way he faltered at Adrien’s words.

“Really?”

“Yeah it’s a, uh, defense mechanism,” the blond teen nodded eagerly.

“Cool.”

“Yeah,” Adrien glanced back at Luka with an awkward smile and half shrug, as in the background the guide continued explaining their latest project.

“Over five painstaking years, Paris University’s Genetic Research Facility has replicated the genetic codes of each of these spiders, as well as those of some of the most venomous snakes in the world including the Mozambique Spitting Cobra, the Inland Taipan, the King Cobra, and the Banded Krait. Armed with these DNA Blueprints, we have now begun what was once thought impossible. We used synthesized transfer RNA to encode an entirely new genome, combining the genetic information from all three spiders, as well as these very deadly snakes, into these fifteen genetically designed super spiders.” The woman finished her spiel and stepped back, gesturing towards a small case that had fifteen small compartments that housed the genetic hybrid spiders. Most of the students hung back, not super interested in looking at more spiders but Marinette was among the few to approach the case, bluebell eyes scanning over each case before she suddenly spoke up, halting their guide when she would have turned away.

“There’s fourteen.”

“I beg your pardon?” The guide asked in confusion.

“One’s missing,” Marinette explained, gesturing toward one of the compartments which had a web, but was notably missing a spider.

“Huh,” the woman stepped forward to inspect the compartment as well before giving a shrug and stepping back. “I guess the researchers are working on that one.” She said before moving on and gesturing for the students to follow her.

“Do you know that this is the largest electron microscope on the eastern seaboard,” Adrien leaned in to say, earning a slightly more impressed look from Marinette. Before she could reply, Monsieur Pedro appeared at his elbow with a stern look.

“You were talking throughout that woman’s entire presentation. Let’s go talk about how we listen,” he said, leading the blond away and leaving Marinette alone to inspect the spiders once more. Luka’s gaze flicked hesitantly between her and the rest of the class before he forced himself to step closer and hold up his camera in question.

“H-hey,” he winced at the nervous break in his voice, especially when Marinette glanced at him expectantly. “Uh, could I take your picture? I- I need one with a student in it.”

“Sure, yeah. Where do you want me?” Marinette grinned at him, the expression so bright that Luka almost wondered if he ought to wear a pair of sunglasses. There was a time, when she was younger, when Marinette had smiled like that all the time. These days her smiles always seemed a bit dimmer, less genuine than the one currently being bestowed upon him. It took him a few moments to refocus after that megawatt grin. “Over here?”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s great,” he agreed, stepping back for a better angle.

“Don’t make me look ugly,” Marinette laughed. Luka could have laughed with her. Making her look ugly wasn’t even a possibility. Marinette didn’t seem to realize it, but she shines as brightly as the Northern star. She was almost painfully beautiful with her heart-shaped face, loose blue-black hair curling slightly around her shoulder blades. Dimples frame either side of her mouth when she grins and her eyes crinkle and sparkle in their mirth. Her skin is flawless, even the freckles he knows she hates only enhance her beauty, rather than take away from it. She is petite, perhaps a head shorter than Adrien and slim. The word dainty comes to mind. She is wearing dark wash skinny jeans with cherry blossoms embroidered from the hem to hip of one leg that he knows she did herself. The same cherry blossoms are embroidered on her white tee-shirt and her small clasp purse as well. A black jacket and pink flats complete the ensemble.

“That’s impossible,” he says with a smile that he really, really hopes isn’t as lovesick as he fears it is. But as usual, Marinette seems completely oblivious to his feelings and simply strikes a pose beside the case of spiders, prompting him to lift the camera to his eye and snap the pic.

“Perfect,” he says, snapping another pic. “You’re really good at this.” He can tell his praise is putting her at ease, her stiff movements loosening until she actually starts having fun with it, her poses and faces becoming increasingly goofy until they’re both laughing breathlessly between clicks of the camera. Luka is pretty sure this is the first normal interaction they have ever had in probably twelve years and he desperately wishes it could be like this every day. Just him, and her. No Felix, no Theo… No Adrien. That last thought gives him pause, guilt eating away at him. True, Adrien was well aware of his feelings for Marinette but it wasn’t like he had made a move. He had no right to be jealous of his friend using a few facts he had spewed out in an attempt to woo the girl Luka had his eye on. But it still stung nonetheless.

“Marinette, let’s go!” 

The voice of one of Marinette’s closest friends, Alya he thinks her name is, snaps him out of these thoughts as the raven-haired girl turns away, their little photo session forgotten as she scurries to catch up with Alya and a few other girls from their class. His call for her to wait, followed by a quick thank you, is so quiet and weak, it is quickly lost beneath the sound of their giggles and he sighs, shoulders slumping as he drops his eyes to the camera in his hands. Suffice it is to say, he had kind of blown that one. He turns to follow the class as well when a stinging sensation in his hand causes him to jerk, only the neck strap keeping him from yeeting the school’s camera into a nearby wall. Looking down, he watches a spider about the size of his thumb tip hit the ground before scrambling to right itself. It’s an odd little thing, almost appearing to be covered in hard scales like that of a snake. Its scales are light teal with a darker teal diamond on the back of its abdomen, and when it turns to glance up at him, its eight eyes are a yellow-green color. The spider scurries off and Luka glances down at his hand where a large welt is already growing, angry and red in color. The area where he was bit throbs painfully and he shakes his hand once more, glances towards where the spider disappeared again, before his teacher’s voice brings his attention back up.

“Couffaine. Let’s go it,” Monsieur Pedro says, appearing a few feet away with a slight frown. Luka glanced once more toward the spot where the spider had disappeared and then jogged to catch up with his teacher and classmates.

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you think!


End file.
